I spent this weekend on the road in Kansas. I think this photo captures how it feels pretty well. For my internet share of the day, I've been enjoying Dan Rather a lot lately (another sign of how fast this election has aged me). His posts on Facebook have been extremely insightful. You can check them out here.

Have I mentioned how much I love making things with my photos? Holy buckets is that fun!So I made these calendars full of my nature photography. I made some for gifts for the holidays, and then I printed 2-3 extras. If you think you might want one, shoot me a note -- they cost $40. I think they are quite lovely, and they are printed on the BEST paper. It's just luscious.Now, for your internet shares of the day.+ The most gorgeous photos of whales ever.+ How to make it look like you're home when you're traveling.+ Gorgeous doorknobs. No really. (Typing that made me think of one of my favorite movie moments.)

I have been shooting families and kids and dogs like NUTS in my studio the past week or two, and man, it has been so much fun. Studio work is so, so different than my normal day-to-day, but in a totally fun way.Now, some internet shares of the day:+ Want a pretty sign with a nice message for your front yard? Here you go. And check out the hotties on that About page, eh?+ I find it both hilarious and terrifying that Mike Pence is now fighting for private emails. YOU KNOW, THAT THING WE HAD TO HEAR ABOUT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH HILLARY? $#@%^! At this point, I am literally out of curse words. And ask my dad, that takes a lot.+ My favorite book from last year was turned into a small foreign film and it is showing now in Minnesota. Go see it as soon as you can. I promise you, you will love it. It is WONDERFUL. And oh hey look, it's got record patronage here. Again, I sure do love it here in Minnesota.

It has been a week since we voted, and I realize you might be tired of hearing me bitch about the state of our nation. So here are a few photos of sleepy Magda.She was all cozied up while I was working at my computer this morning, and sometimes I take a minute just to spin around and take a long look at that sweet girl blissfully asleep. I take a few deep breaths, and then dive back into work. It's good for the soul.How am I feeling today? Hmmmm.... If only there was a time in history we could reference when a leader who promoted white nationalism wanted members of a minority religion to register with the government...But, in an effort to stay balanced, Kansas beat Duke last night in college basketball. (It's small. I know. I'm grasping!)For your internet shares of the day:+ Let's all eat our emotions! Look at this delicious pad thai recipe!+ The police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile has been charged with manslaughter.+ Han Solo and Princess Leah had a steamy affair during the making of Star Wars!  Ooooo la la!+ Back to the election (sorry!), these maps from the NY Times regarding how people voted is fascinating to me. For the first time, I saw our national parks and the nature that we love and value. And then I realized that many of the people who live on or near these lands are voting for the party against protecting the environment. I'm not judging it, I just find it supremely fascinating.

Just one more sunrise for you.I know it's all getting a bit repetitive -- my time on the North Shore. But I just can't photograph my mood around the house yet. Each time I think I'm getting over this election and taking a breath and I'm ready to move on, I see a little more malarky that brings me back down again. I promise my normal positive attitude will return eventually, but I'm not there yet, so here we are with another shot of the sunrise.I think the main problem is that I am someone who always prepares for the worst -- then you are ready for whatever the world throws at you. It's how I operate.But I don't know how to prepare right now.I know so many conservatives who voted for Trump believed that his racist/misogynistic/homophobic/bigoted behavior during his campaign would fade once he was elected and that then he would go after the issues that were important to them (some are pro-life, many are fiscally conservative). But what if that's wrong? His appointment of Bannon seems to prove that White Nationalism is still at the forefront of his presidency.I have posted a little information on Bannon before, but here is a roundup from the NY Times that offers no commentary but only quotes what Bannon has said in the past. There are also some articles his website has published in the past, including this piece:

A July 2016 article by Mr. Yiannopoulos argued that women were “screwing up the internet for men by invading every space we have online and ruining it with attention-seeking and a needy, demanding, touchy-feely form of modern feminism.”

So that guy now has the president's ear. Awesome. Please excuse me while I hunt down another "man space" on the internet and troll it with my "touch-feely" modern feminism.Ok, but now I am going to get back to something that I think is a top priority: education about current events and fact-based research. For democracy to work (I accidentally just typed democrazy, and now I might just keep it that way), people need to be informed by the facts. And that just is not happening. I have been on Facebook relentlessly pointing out false articles people are posting and reposting and reposting. People from both sides.You guys! Trump did not say "If I were to run, I'd run as a Republican. They're the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they'd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific." That is false! Stop spreading it around! Use Snopes.com religiously to fact check!Also? I have had to squash these rumors as well: Black Lives Matter protestors did not plan looting sprees, and more importantly, no one from Black Lives Matter has set anyone on fire! I implore you all to do your own research before believing tales like this, and especially before passing them on to others.Lastly, (and most disturbingly), this article being shared around Facebook *is* true. The KKK is planning a victory march to celebrate Trump's presidency.  So let's sleep well tonight, shall we?Now, for my internet share of the day (we'll just run with this theme):+ Facebook employees are working on a system to fact check the "news" that spreads on their site. Hear, hear! Wouldn't this have been awesome BEFORE the election? Mmmm?+ And on a happier note, how about these Vogue photos, eh? Wowza.  

Oh yeah. This captures the feel of my weekend well.No, your computer screen is not broken. This is one of many photos I took that ended up being corrupt resulting in file loss. Not the best thing when you're photographing sixteen children, eighteen adults and three dogs. Luckily, I figured out the problem (I think), and the files were all saved (after much stress and computer work).But, you know, this isn't the only stress right now. If only.+ In case you are hearing more about the alt-right lately, and are wondering what they are, I've been researching like mad and this is a pretty good summary. And yes. It's terrifying.+ And why would you be hearing about the alt-right? Because Stephen Bannon has been promoted to Chief Strategist to Trump's campaign. Previously, he was in charge of Breitbart.com, a site that publishes stories like: "Birth control makes women unattractive and crazy." So yeah.+ And this article about First Amendment Rights is terrifying and important.+ But I cannot end on that depressing note. So here is something to make you laugh.

It has been such a hard week.I didn't blog yesterday because 1) I'm not sure you would have wanted to read what my mind was thinking and 2) I needed some time to clear my head.I think now that the anger has passed, and I've moved on to just sadness and reflection, the waters are safe again. At least I hope so.What helped me to move forward more than anything was seeing President Obama's speech after the election. That man possesses more strength and grace than anyone I have ever known, and he inspires me daily to be a better person. I can only hope my son has a president of such magnitude in his lifetime (or one that he will remember, rather).Here are a few things I have done in the last day to make myself feel better.

1. I have signed up with several volunteer organizations in town, including this one. The best way I know how to fight ignorance and racism in this country is by raising my own son in a fashion that shows him the importance of charity and kindness while teaching him to respect all people no matter their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. I will also be teaching him to stand up for those who are discriminated against and to bear witness for those who need it.
2. On that same note, I have set up a drive to help this organization gather goods for single mothers working hard to get their families out from under the poverty line. If you would like more information on how you can help, please shoot me an email.
3. I am working to order these beautiful signs for my neighborhood showing that we welcome everyone, and this is a safe place. The signs were designed and created by my wonderful friend Jaime.
4. I am donating to the ACLU.
5. I have used more patience than I ever knew I possessed to discuss racist and inaccurate postings on Facebook. Some posters have ignored me, while others have rewritten their posts or corrected them and thanked me for the civil dialogue. This has been the most difficult thing by far, but I encourage everyone to give it a try. Be nicer than you want to be, but make your points strongly. Racism is never acceptable.

And now that I have that off my chest, please enjoy these photos I took while we were on the North Shore last weekend. That blissful retreat seems like last year, so I sure am glad I took photos to remember it by.

I need some time to recover. And to gather my family's passports.In the meantime, here is an image from the north shore I took this weekend.